Will B. Cheering on the Cubs

I can finally breathe a big sigh of relief; Cub football season is upon us! How come the football season is so short compared to other sports seasons? I played football as a kid, so maybe it’s that connection to the sport that has me so enamored with football.

There are so many great memories tied up in football for me it would be impossible not to love the game. Countless Thanksgivings, sitting stuffed with turkey and pie, lying half asleep on the floor as the Cowboys take the field for the very traditional Turkey Bowl. Yes, I love my Chiefs but grew up loving the Cowboys as well.

Maybe it was the brotherhood of the football team. Very few things will knit a group together stronger than a football team - those friendships and memories last a lifetime. Two-a-day practices in the hot Texas summer sun weren’t for the faint of heart. You had to love the game to put your body and mind through two-a-days in Texas. I still remember those giant salt tablets and gallons of Gatorade; we could never quite quench our thirsts.

As I have gotten older, I have found many more reasons to love the game. For me High School Football will always hold a special place in my heart. This is the time when players play for the love of the game. College football begins to corrupt the player, in my opinion. In professional football, it seems the love of the game is absent from most pro players these days and it’s all about the dollar.

The holy grail of football is varsity football under Friday Night Lights in small town America. It’s like poetry to me. As I get closer to the stadium, I begin to hear players crashing into each other, coaches yelling at players to hustle, the smell of the grill or BBQ pit (if you’re lucky), a wave from a neighbor or friend here and there as people slowly start to shuffle into the bleachers. Game announcers let people know, here in small town America, that we still stand, remove our hats and sing the National Anthem. After this, it’s a blur of good conversation with people you see every day in town, nachos or hamburgers, hot cocoa when it gets cold and a trip to the Cub Trailer to pick up some new Cub swag: a new shirt? Yes, please! How about that new Cub hat? Yes, of course.

One of my favorite things at the game is the marching band, and oh, does Olney have a great marching band. My heart swells with pride during away games as our incredible marching band takes the field and puts on a great show. The band works tirelessly to make each performance a great one and it shows. There will be epic plays and some not-so-stellar plays, some wins and some losses but when the Cubs exit the field, they can count on this sweet little town of Olney supporting them.

This is Will B saying, if the office is closed on a Friday just come on down to Cub field and watch my Cubs with me! Lets Go Cubs!!!